Pin-spotting device for bowling-alleys.



APPLICATION FILED PEBJ, 1909.

Patented Feb. 14; 1911.

3 SHEBT$-SHEET 2.

I A. W. TISDAL'E.

PIN SPOTTING DEVICE FOR BOWLING ALLEYS.

APPLICATION TILED FEB. 1, 1909. Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

mmntoz 3.95 than,

attain:

rm-sro'r'rme DEVICE FOR BOWLInG ALLEYs To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIE W. TISDALE, a

citizen oftheUnited States of America, re-

like, the same being provided with a'pincarriage having means for retaining the pins in position while the carriage is being moved, each'of the pin-supporting devices being provided with releasing mechanism operated by contact with the surface of the bowling alley as the table descends.

A further object of this invention is to provide a ten-pin setting apparatus in which the releasing, of the ten-pins will be automatic in operation and the releasing device will be automatically raised in its guideways.

A further object of this invention is to rovide novel'means for raising and lowerlng the table, means being also provided for retaining the table in elevated position while the players are bowling. Finally, an object of th1s nventlonis to produce a novel device of the character noted, which will possess advantages in points of simplicity, efficiency and durability, proving-at the same time comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other OlJJEClS' in view, the inventlon consists in the details of constructionand in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invent'ion'in detail, ref

erence' will be had .to the accompanying; drawings forming part of this specificatio wherein like characters denote correspondingparts in'the's'everal views, in which I'Fig. 4 illustrates a detail view of the table' Figure 1, illustrates a sectional view of a bowling alley with the pin spotting apparatus in elevation; Fig. 2, is a top plan 'view'of a fragment of the table; and Fig. 3,

1s a view inel'evation of a fragment thereof.

Fig.5 illustrates a side elevation of Fig. 6 isa detail'view of frame. the apparatus. the invention.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Anon-In w. TISDALE, or MOBILE, ALABAMA.

, Specification of Letters Patent. I

Application filed February 1, 1909. Serial .No.

- lies Patented Feb. 1 1, 1911. 475,468.

In these drawings, A, denotes the bowling devices, preferably cables G, which have their ends connected to the frame and are run over the idlers H, mounted in the brackets I, on theupper ends of the standards. The outer ends of the cables are provided with weights J which are slightly heavier than the combined weight of the table (to be hereinafter referred to) and eight pins, it

being the purpose of the inventor to have the said weight support the table and eightpins clear of the ten-pin alley and when the last two'pins are placed in position on the table, the weight of the table and pins will be greatenthan the weight"J,'-causing' the table to move down toward the alley surface at which place it automatically releases its pins and automatically returns to its position over the alley ready for'the next setting of the pins. I

The table is composed of two decks, viz: an upper deck K, and a lower deck L, the said decks having coinciding apertures and being separated by' spacingblocks or bars The horizontally disposed frame F, between the two decks and is secured thereto in any desired manner in order that the table may be held constantly in the same position with-relation to the said frame. The upper surface of the lower deck of the frame E, is supported by the flexible L, is provided near each hole with flanges Z, 1

designed to engage-heads of pins N, saidpins having their shanks extending through recesses Pin the said deck L-whi'ch extend into the deck as'far as the-flanges I, said recesses also being in communication with the pin receiving apertures, so that the fingers 0 may swing thereinto. The heads of- "the bolts fall by gravity into engagement with the flanges and said heads engage the fingers O, which fingers'are pivoted at p in recesses P, extending from the edges of the 'holes insaid deck. The fingers.

"as shown, are curved in order "that their ends will project within the areaof the holes in the table for the purpose of supporting ten pins which have been a lied to the holes, and the said ten pins w-i 1 be supported by the fingers until the heads of the pins are disengaged from the flanges. In order to permit the fingers to swing on their pivots, the shanks of the pins are. moved vertically in the lower deck until the- "heads thereof are raised 'above the surfaces swing away from the ten pins are supporting.

i- The lower deck L, is provided with a series. of feet: Q, which are-shorter than the shanks of -the.'pins--N,-so :that in lowering the table, v-theshanks of the pins first contact-the surface of the bowling alley and as :the table further descends, the pins are raised until the heads of said pins pass the upper "surfaces of the flanges as heretofore described, .so that it is necessary to have the feet of the table relatively shorter than the shanks of the pins in order that the pins maymovelthe distance heretofore described to cause the heads of the pins to pass above the upper "surfaces of the flanges before the wfeet of the table contact the surface ofthe ibowling-alleyyfor it is only through this arrangement that the pins would operate to releasethe fingers- After the heads of the pins have beenreleased, upward move- ;ment of the table would cause the fingers to ride over the outer surfaces of the ten pins and the said ten pins would be left standing on the spots or at the proper positions on the bowling alley.

The standards B, have braces b, which are connected to them near their upper ends and said braces extend diagonally toward the forward end of the bowlin alley and are suitably anchored to the s1de rails or gu er; The frames are adjustable transverselyaofthe bowling alley through the medium of turn buckles R, which are provided between the decks of the horizontally disposed table and between the standards in' which the vertically disposed frame moves. After the ends of the fingers have ridden. over the surfaces of the ten pins, the pinswhich hold the fingers inoperative position, re-set themselves by gravity, with the heads thereof in engagement with the sides of the flanges ready to again receive the ten pins for the'next setting.

Briefly describing the operation, the same is as follows. In its normal position the table is raised by the weights J, and the pins are laced within the apertures of the table whlle the table is thus elevated. The wei ts J being slightly lighter than the combined weight of the table and all of. the ten-pins when in position in the apertures, the table will be automatically lowered and in this instance I preferably make the combined weight of t fguidewa s u on said standar weights J heavy enough to support the combined weight of the table and eight of the ten-pins, so that when the last two ins are placed in position on the table it wi be antomatically lowered as hereinbefore set forth. When the table strikes the surface of the alley, the heads of the ins N are raised above the upper surface 0 the flanges Z. thereby allowin the said pins to swing outwardly, thus al owing the fingers 0 also to swing outwardly upon the pivots p thereby releasing the ten-pins from within the recesses. When the plus N have been raised by contact with the surface of the bowling alley, the table is supported by the feet Q,

therebytakingthe ar off of the'terbpins.

engaging devices when the table is lowered. As soon as the ten-pins are released, as heretofore described, the weights J tend to automatically return the table to a raised position upon the guideways C for the next setting.

I claim- 1. In a ten pin'spotting device, a vertically movable frame, means carried by the frame whereby the width thereof may be adjusted, atable carried by said frame, coun terbalance weights for said frame said weights being sli htly heavier than the ie table and eight of the ten ins ut slightly lighter than the combine weight of the table and all of the ten pins, ten pin retaining devices carried by the table and means for tripping the ten pin retaining devices.

2. In a pin spotting device I ds, a frame slidable m sa1d guideways, said frame comprising .uprightmembers and a connecting member, means for laterally adjusting the upright members, ahorizontal frame connected to the lower end of the upright members, said horizontal frame having means for lateral adjustment, a table su ported by said horizontal frame, counter lance weights for said frames and table, ten-pin standards,

retaining devices carried by the'table, and

ards, over which pass the cables, said weights being sli htly heavier than the combined weight 0 but lighter than the weight of the table and al f'the t pm a table and eight of the ten-pins i 4. in a ten pin' spotting device, a table comprising upper and lower .decks having coinciding apertures, fingers'pivoted in re,

cesses in the upper deck adjacent the :1 ertures, pins provided with heads seate in the lower deck, said heads being adapted to engage said fingers, flanges engaging said pins at their heads to retain the fin ers in operative position, the aforesaid pins aving a sliding movement upon said flanges to allow the fingers to swing upon their pivots.

5. In a ten pin spotting device, guideways, a frameslidable 1n the guideways, a table carried by said frame, said table comprising upper and lower decks having coinciding apertures, fingers pivoted in the recesses 1n tremities adapted to project into the area of the apertures to receive the ten pins, flanges on the upper surfaces of the lower deck secured near said apertures, pins hav-' ing shanks slidable in the lower deck, the

heads of the pins being held in engagement with the fingers by the flanges, feet for the table of less length than the shanks of the pins, and means for moving said'table.

6. In a ten pin spottingdevice, a vertithe upper deck, and having curved 'excally movable frame, atable carried by said frame, counterbalance weights for said frame and table, ten pin retaining devices carried by the table, and ,means for tripping the ten pin retaining devices, the aforetures, fingers pivoted to the upper deck and projecting through the apertures of the lower deck, pins carried by the lower deck adapted to engage said fingers and hold the same in operative relation to engage the ten pins, and feet for the table of less length than the pins.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARCHIE W. TISDALE.

\Vitnesses ANDREW KASSEN,

N. E. STALLWORTH. 

